Mystery: The Undead Don't Die from Linking the Fire

Chapter 160 At this moment, the curtain begins to rise.

Inside the Earl Hall's luxurious villa in Queens.

Audrey stood in front of the full-length mirror, staring blankly at herself, her expression somewhat worried.

Just then, she suddenly heard a familiar voice behind her.

"Audrey, what are you worried about?"

Through the mirror, Audrey saw Ember appear accompanied by a burst of azure light. Audrey wasn't surprised by Ember's sudden appearance; instead, she felt a sense of relief, because this was exactly what she had requested—the so-called "old place" referred to her home, since they rarely met in other places.

"ember,"

Audrey carefully chose her words before asking, "What are your thoughts on Mr. 'The Fool's' suggestion?"

Embers succinctly stated:

"It has nothing to do with any ceremony planned by the royal family."

"That's what I think too."

Audrey nodded and said softly, "'The Fool' knows what the royal family is going to do, and he also knows your plan, Ember. If he is reminding other members about this, the hint should be the broader 'Augustus,' rather than specific to Edsac Augustus or any individual."

"But Prince Edsack is a member of the royal family, and what happened to him must be related to the royal family's schemes."

Hearing Audrey's analysis, Ember pondered and asked:

What's your impression of Edsack?

"I've never liked him."

The young woman frowned slightly and analyzed seriously, "He pursued me for a long time before. At the ball a few months ago, he enthusiastically stopped me to chat about some boring topics and played with his self-righteous, clumsy humor. But a few days later, his attitude became quite cold, and he even deliberately avoided me. This may be related to what happened to Edsack."

After a pause, Audrey asked hesitantly, "Ember, what do you think?"

Audrey disliked Edsack for many reasons, the most important being that, as a follower of the "Goddess of Night," she couldn't accept the generations of Augustus who worshipped the "Lord of the Storms." This meant their arrogance, haughtiness, contempt, and prejudice towards women were deeply ingrained, making change difficult—something Audrey found utterly intolerable.

Therefore, she was quite resistant to, and even somewhat disgusted by, Edsack's pursuit and attentiveness. The change in Prince Edsack's attitude, however, struck Audrey as odd, as it was so abrupt and completely unexpected!

After listening to Audrey's analysis, Yu Jin slowly said:

"Your analysis makes a lot of sense. Edsack is clearly not Nan Tong. He was pursuing her intensely just two days ago, but when they met again, he became extremely cold and dismissive of Backlund's most dazzling gem. This is completely illogical."

Audrey rolled her eyes and said with slight annoyance:

"I'm serious."

"I'm serious."

Yu Jin remained expressionless, and instead said very seriously:

"Edessaker is clearly not the kind of person who can remain unmoved by beauty. His attitude towards you changed from being attentive to extremely cold in just a few days. There is only one possibility: he has found someone better and is deliberately keeping his distance from you for fear of being misunderstood."

"A better candidate?"

Audrey frowned slightly. Someone Edsack considered a better candidate than her must at least be as beautiful as her, or even surpass her. But the aristocratic circle of Backlund wasn't small, nor was it large. Over the years of social gatherings, Audrey knew almost all the nobles of Backlund.

The fact that she was hailed as the most dazzling jewel in Backlund speaks volumes about her exceptional beauty. At least among her peers, and within aristocratic circles, no one was more beautiful than her. This wasn't arrogance, but a fact. While Audrey didn't take pride in this, she couldn't ignore the objective truth.

Furthermore, there haven't been any reports of Prince Edsack being romantically involved with any noblewoman in recent months—in the past, even a few extra words exchanged during a casual conversation could become the talk of the town. If Prince Edsack were truly in love with a noblewoman, it's impossible that there wouldn't be any word of it, unless…

Audrey murmured softly:

"Unless Edsack's preferred candidate is not a nobleman but a commoner, then he wouldn't dare to reveal any information."

Audrey was naturally curious about the person Edsack considered superior to her. But she still found it odd, because a commoner was destined never to become a princess; only nobles could. Even if the other woman was exceptionally beautiful, she would ultimately only be one of the concubines, not enough to make Edsack abandon his pursuit of her.

After all, Edsack was clearly not a devoted lover, just as Audrey had in mind the Augustus family—their arrogance towards women was ingrained, and they would never change for an ordinary woman, no matter how beautiful she was. Unless the woman herself possessed some other kind of 'magic'.

For example, if Edsack were to truly decide to pursue Audrey, he would likely forgo contact with other women. This wouldn't be because Audrey was exceptionally beautiful, nor because she was the most dazzling jewel in Backlund, but simply because her father was Earl Hall, and because of the power and wealth he possessed!

Even if Edsack were to abandon his pursuit of other women, it would only be to demonstrate his unwavering devotion to Audrey and thus gain Earl Hall's support, nothing more.

For an ordinary woman, without power or wealth, looks alone are simply not enough to win Edsak's heart. But Edsak's current state suggests only one other possibility…

"Extraordinary ability."

Ember tapped the table lightly with his fingers and slowly said, "The royal family has been cooperating with the 'Church of the Witches,' and a witch could easily make Edsack completely devoted to her!"

Audrey had clearly thought of this as well, but she still frowned and asked in return:

"Can't it be because of love?"

Yu Jin thought for a moment, then nodded slightly and said:

"That's possible, but I still think it's more likely to be extraordinary abilities."

Audrey nodded silently, tacitly agreeing with Ember's guess. There must be people who would do anything for love, just like her. But Edsack, or rather, the likes of Augustus, could not possibly be such people; their deep-seated arrogance towards women meant they would never believe in love!

So, just as Ember said, the possibility of extraordinary abilities is indeed higher.

Even though she had already guessed part of the information, the girl still frowned and asked, puzzled:

"But that still doesn't explain what will happen to him. The Witch Church and the royal family have a cooperative relationship. They wouldn't harm Edsack, and the royal family would never allow such a thing to happen."

Ember calmly shook his head and slowly said:

"That's not necessarily true. Without the royal family's tacit approval, would the Witch Church dare to allow a witch to seduce Edsack? The fact that he could be seduced by a witch already shows that Edsack is a pawn. The only question is, where exactly will this pawn be used?"

Audrey frowned, silently thinking to herself:

"Dad and Hilbert probably know more. We can ask them when they get back tonight."

-

15 Minsk Street, Joewood District.

After finishing his tarot session, Klein went downstairs to the living room, enjoying the warmth emanating from the fireplace. He rocked quietly in his armchair, neither reading the newspaper, nor flipping through magazines, nor reading any books. Everything was so peaceful and silent until the doorbell rang.

Wearing a lounge shirt and cashmere vest, Klein got up and went outside. Finding the visitor somewhat unexpected, he opened the door and chuckled.

"Good afternoon, Emlyn. Shouldn't you be helping out at Harvest Church at this time?"

The newcomer was none other than Emlyn White, a vampire with hair combed back to the side and a handsome, almost effeminate appearance. Upon hearing Klein's greeting, Emlyn's previously arrogant expression froze, and it took him a while to recover.

"I have something to ask you, Sherlock, Moriarty, detective!" Emlyn uttered each word clearly.

After inviting him into the living room, Klein returned to his armchair and asked with a smile:

"What is it? The consultation fee is £1, but it cannot exceed one hour."

Emlyn White ignored his words and said thoughtfully:

A powerful figure has asked me to do something… While it could indirectly help me resolve a potential problem, it also carries a high risk. I don't have many friends, and I'm worried about my parents, while you are a highly experienced and extraordinary detective… What advice do you have? Refuse, or accept?

Eliminate hidden dangers? Clear away psychological suggestions? Klein said thoughtfully:

"I cannot offer any advice based solely on the word 'thing'."

Emlyn White was silent for several seconds, then gritted his teeth and lowered his voice:

"It has something to do with that fool."

"Huh?" Klein almost reached up to pick his ear.

-

As evening fell, Earl Hall and Hilbert returned home one after another, and the family gathered at the long dining table in the dining room, where the sumptuous dinner shimmered enticingly under the glow of numerous candles.

Audrey cut a piece of steak and asked, without hiding her curiosity:

"Dad, has anything happened to Prince Edsack lately?"

Earl Hall paused, his knife and fork stilled, and raised an eyebrow, saying:

"What did you hear?"

Audrey, sensing the message she wanted from her father's reaction, responded with a slight smile:

"Some rumors seem to be true?"

Earl Hall rubbed his temples and said:

"It's nothing too serious. Audrey, I know what you're thinking, so there's no need to hide it from you. It involves a fairly ordinary royal scandal. Simply put, Prince Edsack fell in love with a commoner. This led to the death of a nobleman's descendant, and the royal family is keeping the matter under wraps to avoid causing too much of a stir."

Audrey felt a chill run down her spine.

"Just as Ember suspected! That commoner woman is very likely the witch! There must be a much bigger conspiracy behind this!"

Audrey said after careful consideration:

"The Prince Edsack I know isn't like that, and rumors are circulating that what they're really trying to cover up might not be this."

"Perhaps not?" Earl Hall pondered the words, his brow furrowing slightly.

Audrey knew when to stop, subtly steer the conversation in another direction, a hint of confusion and bewilderment in her eyes, as she asked:

"Didn't Alfred say he was coming back two weeks ago? Why haven't we heard from him yet?"

"That's a good thing."

Earl Hall's expression suddenly relaxed, and he said with a smile, "Alfred has been transferred by the royal family to carry out some classified missions. After this mission is completed, he will receive enormous benefits. For example, a hereditary title of at least viscount!"

"Viscount."

Hilbert paused in his steak-cutting motion, a clear look of envy in his eyes. Although he could inherit the earldom effortlessly, Alfred's achievements filled him with immense admiration. Because, at this rate, Alfred becoming an earl was only a matter of time, and even a marquess wasn't out of the question!

Audrey frowned, a sense of unease creeping in. Just days before, her parents had been secretly discussing the matter, expressing concern for Alfred's safety and explicitly stating their desire to avoid any deeper involvement with the royal family. To prevent her and Hilbert from being implicated, they hadn't even divulged a word to them, hoping to protect them in case of any future developments.

But now, his attitude has suddenly undergone a complete 180-degree turn. He's not worried about Alfred's involvement in the royal secret mission, but rather pleased, which undoubtedly makes Audrey sense something unusual!

The possibility of Edsack being influenced by the witch, in particular, instinctively led Audrey to make the connection—Earl Hall's change in attitude might also be influenced by supernatural powers! And to influence Earl Hall, who was just an ordinary person, she didn't even need extraordinary abilities; Audrey herself could do it. As a psychiatrist, she could easily hypnotize the ordinary Earl Hall through psychological suggestion without him even realizing it!

She certainly wouldn't do such a thing to her own father, but what about the royal family?! The royal family has Herwin Bilans, a demigod who seems to be a mere spectator!

Audrey suddenly frowned and said in a low voice, somewhat complainingly:

"Then, won't Alfred miss the New Year's Eve party?"

This perfectly suits the personality of a slightly willful noblewoman and won't arouse any suspicion.

The Countess comforted her, saying:

"Audrey, think positively..."

Before she could finish speaking, Earl Hall interrupted her, frowning as he said:

"Audrey, you're almost an adult, no longer a willful child. How can you be so insensible? This matter concerns Alfred and the entire Hall family's future. How can it be delayed by a New Year's party?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the entire Earl's family focused their attention on Earl Hall, their eyes filled with surprise and disbelief. Not only Audrey, but even the Countess and Hilbert found it unbelievable.

Audrey pursed her lips and lowered her head, looking like a wronged little girl who had been scolded, in order to hide her inner tension and fear. If she had only suspected that Earl Hall had been affected by extraordinary abilities before, now she was completely certain!

"A normal father wouldn't say something like that! He would comfort himself like Mom would, instead of scolding him with an unfeeling attitude. Something has influenced Dad to prioritize Alfred's 'secret mission' above all else, not allowing anyone or anything to contradict it!"

Audrey was very familiar with this ability because it was essentially a psychological suggestion through the audience channel!

(End of this chapter)